FPJ slams detention of three journalists in Bethlehem

GAZA, (PIC)– The forum of Palestinian journalists (FPJ) strongly denounced the Israeli occupation forces for detaining three Palestinian journalists on Tuesday as they were doing their jobs in Bethlehem city.

In a press release, the forum said Israeli soldiers detained Mamdouh Hamamreh, a reporter for Al-Quds satellite channel, Samer Hamad, a cameraman for Palmedia news agency, and Abdul-Rahman Younos, a reporter for Al-Quds.com, during their presence on Al-Quds street in Bethlehem.

It added that the soldiers verbally assaulted the journalists and prevented them from taking pictures, noting that they were released later.

The forum stressed that such assault is part of Israel’s systematic repressive campaign against the journalists, the latest of them was Mohamed Saba’na, who works as political caricaturist for Al-Hayat Al-Jadida newspaper.

Saba’na was kidnapped after his return from Jordan where he participated in a conference on caricatures.

The forum underlined that Israel’s persistence in suppressing Palestinian journalists is due to the immunity provided for it by the international community which keeps silent on its violations against the freedom of the press.